London Plane tree - leaves and flowers
May 12, 2011; Middletown, Connecticut. This flower and leaves were found on a huge London Plane tree on the bank of the Coginchaug River. Help with this tree ID was provided by Carol D. Quish at UConn Home and Garden Education Center who writes; "The red hanging globular cluster is the flower of the plant; it is a cluster of tiny flowers waiting to be pollinated, then develop into seed and pod."
In a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees, I photographed the image here and the one below on a low hanging branch not once looking up at the tree they were a part of. I revisited the site today (May 13) and found a truly gigantic tree on the river bank halfway in the flowing river.I estimate the tree to be 60-70 feet in height with a circumference (this is just a guess) of around 4-5 feet. Incidentally the red globular objects are the size of small raspberries.
The London Plane tree (Platanus x hispanica (syn. x acerifolia) is a very common urban tree that is extensively planted in city parks, gardens and avenues. Although it is called the London Plane this tree is not native to England. In fact it is not native to anywhere as it is a hybrid of two trees from opposite sides of the globe. Its parent trees are the American Sycamore and the Oriental Plane. The hybrid was most likely a natural result of the two parent trees being planted close to each other in Spain (thus x hispanica). It has been very widely planted in England since the late 1600´s.
London Plane tree - leaves and flowers
May 12, 2011; Middletown, Connecticut. This flower and leaves were found on a huge London Plane tree on the bank of the Coginchaug River. Help with this tree ID was provided by Carol D. Quish at UConn Home and Garden Education Center who writes; "The red hanging globular cluster is the flower of the plant; it is a cluster of tiny flowers waiting to be pollinated, then develop into seed and pod."
In a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees, I photographed the image here and the one below on a low hanging branch not once looking up at the tree they were a part of. I revisited the site today (May 13) and found a truly gigantic tree on the river bank halfway in the flowing river.I estimate the tree to be 60-70 feet in height with a circumference (this is just a guess) of around 4-5 feet. Incidentally the red globular objects are the size of small raspberries.
The London Plane tree (Platanus x hispanica (syn. x acerifolia) is a very common urban tree that is extensively planted in city parks, gardens and avenues. Although it is called the London Plane this tree is not native to England. In fact it is not native to anywhere as it is a hybrid of two trees from opposite sides of the globe. Its parent trees are the American Sycamore and the Oriental Plane. The hybrid was most likely a natural result of the two parent trees being planted close to each other in Spain (thus x hispanica). It has been very widely planted in England since the late 1600´s.